Vietnam – Export requirements for fish and seafood
Eligible/ineligible product
Eligible
- Non-live fish
- Live aquatic animals which originate from Canadian waters and which have been authorized for import by Vietnamese authorities
- Salted and frozen pacific herring roe (Clupea pallasii) (HS code 030520)
Ineligible
- Live aquatic animals which do not meet the above-mentioned criteria
- Certain species of aquatic animals, including farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and wild pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), excluding salted and frozen pacific herring roe (HS code 030520), harvested in waters that are officially declared by the CFIA as infected with World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH; founded as Office International des Épizooties (OIE)) listed diseases. There may also be impacts on other species of susceptible aquatic animals. For more information on Canada disease status see the Status of regulated aquatic animal reportable diseases and Status of regulated aquatic animal immediately notifiable diseases
Pre-export approvals by the competent authority of the importing country
Import permit
- For consignments containing any live species of aquatic animals, except Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas), it is the importer's and exporter's responsibility to obtain a valid import licence or permit issued by the Vietnamese Authorities prior to import.
- Except for Pacific Oyster, which can be imported into Vietnam without the need for a risk assessment or import permit, all other live aquatic animal species from Canada are required to undergo a risk assessment approval process through the General Department of Fisheries of Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) before an import permit can be issued.
Establishments
- Establishments wishing to export non-viable fish and seafood products that are not processed or pre-packaged must appear on the list of countries eligible to export fishery products to Vietnam (in Vietnamese only). As of July 18, 2017, responsibility for approving foreign establishments to export foodstuffs of animal origin and for maintaining the above-noted list rests with the Department of Animal Health (DAH) of Vietnam's MARD.
- Establishments do not need to appear on the approved list if the products are:
- cooked by boiling or steaming, smoked, dried, marinated, and/or salted; and
- pre-packaged with proper labelling, for example, canned or pouched, or
- for a declared purpose of further processing and re-export (not for local consumption in Vietnam). For these situations, an export certificate from CFIA is still required and the statement about further processing and re-export needs to be entered on the certificate.
Note: This information is unofficial and it is the exporter's responsibility to confirm with their importer and/or the Canadian embassy in Vietnam that their product does not need to appear on the list.
- Please refer to the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service webpage on Exporting live fish & seafood products from Canada to Vietnam for information on the procedure to register a Canadian establishment with DAH.
Documentation requirements
Certificates
- For all fish and seafood products for human consumption:
- For non-live fish, excluding salted and frozen pacific herring roe (Clupea pallasii) (HS code 030520), for human consumption:
- Certificate of Origin and Hygiene (CFIA/ACIA 5003)
- Sanitary Certificate covering for fish and fishery products (CFIA/ACIA 5633)
- For salted and frozen pacific herring roe (Clupea pallasii) (HS code 030520) for human consumption:
- Certificate of Origin and Hygiene (CFIA/ACIA 5003)
- For live aquatic animals for human consumption:
- Certificate of Origin and Hygiene (CFIA/ACIA 5003)
- Aquatic Animal Health Certificate (AQAH-1025)
- For non-live fish, excluding salted and frozen pacific herring roe (Clupea pallasii) (HS code 030520), for human consumption:
- The exporter shall provide the Inspector with a copy or copies of any and all import licences and/or permits required to import live aquatic animal species, except Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas), into Vietnam prior to CFIA's issuance of the certificate, and provide supporting documentation such as an affidavit indicating that the exporter believes the provided import license and/or permit is valid.
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